BalletX, Philadelphia’s premier contemporary ballet, returns to TD Pavilion at the Mann for two extraordinary nights of dance and live music – on April 26-27.

This year’s Festival at the Mann features works by Natasha Adorlee, Takehiro Ueyama, and Jamar Roberts, with live music by Grammy-nominated singer Jac Ross, composer Kato Hideki, and ensemble132!

Arrive early and enjoy pre-show festivities featuring local dance groups, live musicians, and circus acts.

More info and tickets are available here.

#BXMannfest

PGW gas pipeline replacement projects in West/Southwest Philly.

Philadelphia Gas Works company (PGW) has been gradually upgrading natural gas pipelines in the city, including in West and Southwest Philly (see link below). The pipeline replacement work began in some neighborhoods, like Spruce Hill and Kingsessing, last fall and is expected to be completed this spring. Residents of some streets west of 52nd and south of Walnut received notifications that PGW will be working on their block beginning this spring.

Each pipeline installation project may take up to six months to complete and includes the following phases:

1. Neighborhood Notification
2. Underground utility marking
3. New main installation
4. New service line installation
5. Property/neighborhood restoration

There may be pauses between phases.

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SEPTA recently opened a newly renovated 30th Street Station, which has been renamed “Drexel Station at 30th Street.” The transformed station has a doubled capacity and features more seamless transportation connections. The station is served by the Market-Frankford Line (now identified by the letter “L” in signage), five Trolley lines (“T”), the LUCY Loop, and Bus Routes 9, 30, 31, 44, 78, 124, 125, and is across the street from Amtrak’s 30th Street Station.

Drexel Station at 30th Street is part of the Schuylkill Yards development, a multi-phase project by Brandywine Realty Trust. Extensive renovations were completed as part of the station reconstruction project to better integrate the station into Drexel Square and the broader Schuylkill Yards district.

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UPDATE (4/8/2024):

Film production trucks and trailers were parked along 52nd Street on Monday while filming took place at Malcolm X Park.

(4/7/2024): Several streets around Malcolm X. Park will be closed from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday, April 8 as a film crew from the Netflix show The Madness shoots in the park.

Friends of Malcolm X. Park reported that public access to the park will also be closed during these hours. The streets adjacent to the park have been posted and remaining cars will be towed to a nearby street.

Here’s a letter from the production company with more details:

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The Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll is coming back again this year! University City District (UCD), the longtime event organizer, has scheduled two Strolls this summer – on Thursday, June 6 and Thursday, Sept. 5.

The event draws thousands of neighbors and visitors to enjoy dollar deals from participating local businesses and community vendors. In 2022, the price levels vendors can offer were expanded from $1 deals to deals for $1, $3, or $5.

Currently, UCD is accepting applications from both community food vendors and community merchandise vendors to join in this event as official participants. If you are a community vendor interested in selling either food or merchandise, please email Margaret Leidy Starke, Senior Manager of Events and Community Partnerships, at margaret@universitycity.org. The deadline to apply is Friday, April 19.

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Here’s some great news for Alain Locke Elementary School students and the surrounding community. Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national nonprofit that helps connect communities to the benefits and joys of the outdoors, has announced the groundbreaking for the revitalization of Alain Locke’s schoolyard into a dynamic community space. A barren, cracked asphalt lot will be transformed into a green oasis for the entire neighborhood to enjoy!

Located at 4550 Haverford Avenue, Alain Locke School has long been a cornerstone of the community. With a goal to foster learning and community engagement, TPL has partnered with the City of Philadelphia, the School District of Philadelphia, Drexel University and the Philadelphia Water Department to reimagine the schoolyard as a multifunctional space that will serve as a catalyst for social, recreational, and educational activities.

The transformation of the schoolyard will include the installation of new play equipment, green infrastructure elements, and outdoor classrooms. These enhancements will not only provide students with a safe and engaging environment for learning and play but also create opportunities for residents of all ages to come together, connect with nature, and lead active lifestyles.

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